Breeding & Showing Dogs?

ONE class dog-FOUR class bitches-(THREE specials dogs-ONE specials bitc-h).

ONE dog going for points,FOUR bitches-ditto to "finish"=be CHAMPIONS.

(THREE ALREADY FINISHED dogs-ONE finished *****)=trying for BOB=best of BREED=& on to GROUP,etc.

ALL AKC shows run in EXACTLY the same order=ALL dog classes (starting w/puppy dog)& the the first place in EACH CLASS goes back in for WINNERS DOG & RESERVE. Then ALL bitc-h classes & WINNERS BITC-H & RESERVE.

BoB is the last class judged.Winners Dog & winners Bitc-h go in again ,w/any specials, for Best of Winners,Best of Breed *&* Best of OPPOSITE!

Using the numbers above,the class dog is automatically FIRST in it's class *&* Winners dog BUT gets NO POINTS(yet) cuz there was NO COMPETITION.

Say there are 2 bitc-h pups & 2 "open". The first place bitches go back for Winners bitc-h. That one comes comes back again for BoB.

IF the class dog is placed BOW=Best of Winners=it gets the bitc-h points(say 2).Those are NOT "taken" from the WB. If he bets BOB,he *might* get more points cuz he also beat out 3 specials. The WB being put up to BoS *might* get another point cuz she beat out FOUR other bitches,not just 3.

Points vary according to POPULATION numbers=you need to beat LOTZA lab dogs to get a major in ...Ohio,say...more than in Wyoming. Fewer in the less common breeds.

Make any sense NOW??

GO TO SHOWS!!!

WATCH!!! Keep your eyes OPEN & mouth shut. Ask questions AFTER.

Join a kennel club. Join the nearest breed club.

Points are determined by the number of dogs defeated. AKC sets up a point system on a yearly basis for each region and each breed.

Classes divided by sex:

Puppy (sometimes divided 6-9 mos, 9-12 mos)

12-18 mos

Bred by Exhibitor

American Bred

Open (sometimes divided out by color in some breeds)

The winner from each of these classes goes in to compete for Winners Dog and Winners B*tch. After the Winner has been chosen the 2nd place winner from the class the Winner came from goes in to compete for Reserve Winners.

Non-Champion boys compete before Non-Champion Girls. When the Class entries are completed (the 1-4 from your example) and the Winners selected, the Champions (3-1) and the Winners go in the ring to compete for Best of Breed.

The numbers are the entries, not necessarily those who competed.

9 entries

1 Class Dog

4 Class B*tches

3 Male Ch

1 Ch B*tch

0 non-regular

They give last years entries so that you have some clue as to the number of entries to expect. This becomes important when you only need Majors. A Major is when you defeat enough dogs to earn 3 or more points at one time. You need a total of 15 points including 2 majors under different judges. This can be difficult and require travel if you live in an area with few competitions big enough to be majors.

A show dog is still a pet and house dog. You really need to find a breed that is suitable for your lifestyle. Since you are only 14, I would think that your parents would have a big say in what breed of dog to get, unless you are going to wait until you are old enough to be on your own, or your parents are OK with any breed. Which ever breed you choose, you need to do research on that breed and find the very best breeder that you can find. I suggest you start going to some dog shows in your area and if you could find a "benched" show, that would be even better.

Check out the AKC's website at akc.org. They have all the information on points and competition.

The numbers refer to the amount of pugs shown, usually it would be 9 total, 1 male, 4 females, the next numbers can refer to specialties within the group, and the last would refer to any titled dogs competing.

Many people that have champion dogs still continue to show theirs.

It is hard to understand the point system, there are different points in different areas of the country. But if you go to the website and are awake and alert you should be able to understand it all. It's just weird getting used to it.

Find a training facility near you that offers conformation training. It's the best way to learn and it will be soooo worth it.They also have all the info on akc events and you will be able to learn and practice with your dog while having experienced show-ers to help you along.

Best of luck!

www.akc.org

But best bet is to get into a conformation or competition OB class. The trainers usually can explain the rules clearly.

if you want to compete in AKC, make sure the trainer has won several AKC titles on his or her own dogs.